Kentucky dominates Arkansas, 80-66

The Kentucky Wildcats had a chance to make a statement in Arkansas on Thursday night and that’s exactly what they did in an 80-66 victory that was far more dominant than the score indicates.

The game marked the start of, arguably, the most important 48 hours of the season to this point as a tough road game in Fayetteville and a quick turnaround for a talented Vanderbilt team on Saturday loomed. And the Cats got things started on the right foot as they jumped out to 10-3 run in the game’s first four minutes. From there, the Cats would cruise to a 36-24 halftime lead and eventually walk away with an 80-66 win.

Tyler Ulis led the Cats with a career-high 24 points to go along with 5 assists. Freshman guard Jamal Murray added 19 points and 7 rebounds, while a rejuvenated frontcourt got contributions from Derek Willis (12 points and 7 rebounds) and Skal Labissiere (11 points and 3 rebounds). The most telling number, though, was that the Cats committed only 6 turnovers against Arkansas’ vaunted defense.

Be sure to watch KSTV Friday for a full recap and a look ahead to the game with Vanderbilt.